Around Town and Farmer’s Market Mother’s Day Weekend in Dexter

Dexter’s shopping centers and downtown were abuzz with activity as countless appreciative sons, daughters, and husbands ventured out in search of that perfect card and gift to show their appreciation for the moms in their lives that make a life so special.

Naturally there were a great deal of people at Hallmark Cards, located at 7007 Dexter-Ann Arbor Road, next door to Foggy Bottom Coffee House. That’s where Steve Kasten was shopping for a card for his wife and mother, Rochelle Kasten and Eleanor Kasten, respectively.

Steve said jokinglly that he always tries to make Mother’s Day extra special for Rochelle, since she has to put up with so much from him.

“Both my wife and my mother have three boys, so my wife deserves a great Mother’s Day, because she’s lived in a fraternity for the last 21 years,” he explained. “She doesn’t get as much girl time as I think she deserves, so that’s why she’s got to have an extra special Mother’s Day.

Kasten said his own mom has been “fabulous, loving and caring” to him his whole life.

“She’s always been there for everything and loves people … she has this huge caring heart, which is what’s so great about her.”

Tony Bunting also brought his son, Aidan, to Hallmark to find the perfect card to express how much the mom in their immediate family life means to them.

“She’s the best mom in the world and she always has my back in school and has always taken me to hockey and all of the events,” Aidan said.

Tony playfully drubbed Aidan on the head with a card envelope, while telling him how lucky he is to have his mom.

“She’s a wonderful mother, she’s very caring to her two boys and as Aidan said, she would do anything for them.”

In downtown Dexter at Hearts & Flowers, at 8111 Main Street, Austin Winkle was one of many (editor’s note: myself included) looking for just the thing to express how much he loves his mom. In his case, it was a bundle of tulips that he admitted couldn’t even begin to convey how he feels for his mom.

“My mom’s special to me because she does practically everything – she cooks, cleans, typical mom stuff, but she also does more than that,” Aidan said. “She looks out for me. I’ve gone through kind of a tough year so far, but other than that she’s always open minded and free spirited and always positive.”

Winkle had to work this Mother’s Day, but he gave his mom her flowers and other gifts last night and will be home later tonight for further opportunities for shows of Mother’s Day appreciation.

Lauren Mills, Jessica Kiefer, and Ben Wyatt were browsing in the former Christine’s Gift Shop space at Hackney’s Ace Hardware among a robust selection of candles, soaps, and other gift items.

“I love my mom because she is always there for me and she’s always accepting and kind,” Mills said when asked what she appreciated about her mom.

Kiefer said that she loves her mom because she puts her first: “I remember being really sick as a child, and I was in a lot of paint and I remember looking for here and she gave me a look as if she wanted to just take all of the pain away from me and have it herself.”

Wyatt’s mom plays a much more light-hearted role in his life.

“I love my mom because she’s very organized and she gets me places on time, and she takes care of things behind the scenes that I wouldn’t even have known of.”

When asked if she’s still mothering him, he responded with a laugh and “Yes.”

Tom Shepherd and Brianna Baldridge were on their way from Dexter Flowers, located at 8054 Main Street next to Hotel Hickman Chuckwagon BBQ, having just picked up the perfect bouquets to express how much they appreciate their mothers.

“I have a great mom – she works in Ann Arbor and I’m from Gregory … I couldn’t ask for a better mom,” he said. “I love her a lot. I got these for her, because I can never show her enough appreciation.”

Baldridge said that while her mom works a lot, she always finds time for her and the rest of the family.

The Baldridge family at celebrating Brianna’s sister graduating college today, while also making sure that their mom can bask in the sense of pride and accomplishment that only a parent raising a kid up through the whole breadth of an academic career can appreciate.

Many more people were celebrating Mother’s Day at the Dexter Farmer’s Market’s “Paint a Pot” children’s crafting booth yesterday.

Moms, dads, and grandparents alike brought their children to the Farmers’ Market to decorate flowerpots as gifts for a special mother in their lives. After the pots were painted, the children were able to fill them with soil, and pick a flower to place inside. As the flowerpots were painted, people shared some of their favorite mom memories including lake tubing trips, and special meals. Additionally people shared their special Mother’s Day traditions, which ranged from zoo trips to capturing an annual family photo.

Many kids had sweet sentiments to share about their own mothers. One Dexter High School student shared that she loves her mom because “she is extremely understanding, and I can talk to her about anything.”